The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-07
part of the people only. 1t will cause some
surprises and win some victories, but in the
end it will fail because it is class movement
WOMAN SUFFRAGE TN KANSAS.

WUMAN 0UffhAd6 IN kANSAS.
Returns from the Kansas municipal cleo
tions, so far as they have been received, show
that no material change has been effected in the
character of the results by the addition of the
votes of women. In most places but small
proportion of the female population came to
the polls, but whether the turnout was large
or small the testimony is that, as a rule, the
women voted as their husbands or fathers did
One thing accomplished by the experiment,
however, is that of putting a strong argument
against equal suffrage into the possession of
its opponents. In some of the Eastern States
women have the privilege of voting for school
officers, and in Wyoming Territory they have
enjoyed the full rights of suffrage and vote
at general elections. In none of these in
stances has the moral influence of the sex, so
much talked of by the champions of the
cause, had opportunity to exert itself.
The municipal elections in Kan
sas afforded really the first chance
for this boosted reforming tendency
to bear directly upon political results. The
issues were all local, and, in some towns the
interest was slight; but in others questions
involved in the election of the various city
officers were as to the enforcement of law in
regard to certain social evils. Some reference
is made to the liquor question as one of the
points at Issue, but as Kansas has prohibi-
ton law and Mr.. John Peter St. John says it
is enforced, it is not clear what this had to do
with the matter. At all events, it was de-
sired that the moral influence of women
should make itself felt, and to this end lead
ers in the suffrage movement pointed out to
their sisters the candidates for whom it was
proper that they should cast their ballots
This is precisely the course adopted by male
politicians when arranging for the election of
their own favorite candidates, and is an en-
tirely unobjectionable procedure if not car
ried too far. 1t is perfectly right, for instance,
that the voting citizen should be exhorted to
stand by the nominee of his party, or, in rare
ENTHUSIASTICALLY in municipal cleo
tions-that he should scratch the
ticket. To 60 further than this,
and intimidate the voter who shows an in
clination to disregard the advice offered and
to vote for the other man. is carrying argu-
ment to excess and is course not to be ad-
vised, though it has been used to good ad-
vantage at times. 1t is method, however
which seems to have commended itself to
leading female suffragsts in Kansas, and to
have been adopted by them. 1t is not an un-
common thing for a man who has voted for
the wrong candidate to be charged by the
friends of the right man with treachery and
corrupt motives The female politicians in
Kansas go step further than this Accord,
ing to all accounts the electioneering methods
most in vogue during the past few weeks have
consisted in fervent appeals to the semi
enfranchised sisters to come out and exercise
their rights, and in assertions that any mem
bers of the sex who should vote for candidates
not approved of by the leaders were no better
than they should be. In one town, at least,
ladies of assured social position did not escape,
their preference for certain candidate op-
posed by the sufragists being accounted for on
the theory that they had a leaning to vice and
that their private lives would not bear investi-
cation.
| The natural consequence of this mode of
| conducting campaign is the dissemination
of vast amount of scandal. Women who
may not feel themselves called upon to reform
the world, yet are willing to have voice in
| the management of affairs to the extent of
casting vote when occasion offers, will hest
tate to exercise the privilege when they learn
that to do so is to invite attacks upon their
moral characters. Comparatively few women,
it may naturally be supposed, are sufficiently
enam ored of the suffrage idea to voluntarily
challenge venomous tongues by exercising
their liberty in this direction. AS first ex-
pertinent the moral influence of woman suf-
frage in Kansas seems to have worked the
wrong way, and the further progress of re-
form is probably blocked until the female cit
izen can be assured that to vote as she chooses
does not mean to part with her reputation for
virtue. If Indiana suffrage champions can do
no better than this for the Kansas sisterhood
and the publication Of politics, candor COM
pels the Journal to advise that they had bet
ter come home, where there is no immediate
prospect of enfranchisement and where they
can do no mischief
THE special dispatch from Richmond stat
ing that Luther Benson was in the station
house there on Sunday, was false, the CORE
spondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer con-
founding him with another man of the same
surname. Luther Benson was at home in